Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I said that I remained to be convinced, Senator Urquhart, but we'll see. They've given me until the end of the year to get back to them on that one. There were questions about motivation: 'Why do you do what you do? Why do you engage?' That was the most interesting part of the conversation. I turned the question back on those student leaders at Fairview Primary: 'Why did you put your hands up to be student leaders? Why did you volunteer to be a leader of your year group or class?' It was interesting to understand their motivations. All of them fundamentally wanted to leave their school community, which has been a big part of their life for so long now, in a better place than when they arrived. They wanted to leave a project that would improve Fairview Primary for the year groups that come after them. I thought that was commendable.

Senators or members often refer to similar motivations in first speeches or in interviews as to why they came to this place. Again, it's great to see young people highlighting what is effectively very selfless and community-minded motivation as the reason they would put their hands up to give up their lunchbreak to serve lunch to other kids, to come in early to help out with the breakfast club, to help out at the local nursing home, and things like that. It was wonderful to see that sort of selfless motivation. The student leadership group also talked about the wonderful project that they're doing for their year group, which I'm sure they'll be announcing to their peers in the near future. Again, it's about that legacy and making sure that the generations after them that come through that school have a better schooling experience.

At the end of the day, for me, it is really about seeing an improved and broader application of civics education in Australian schools. I'm pleased to see what New Norfolk Primary and Fairview Primary are doing, and I thank and commend the students for their engagement. But I would love to see more of it, and I'm hoping I'll see more of it in Tasmanian primary schools in the near future.